Overview

• David Neilson received the Outstanding Achievement award at the British Soap Awards 2025 ceremony held May 31 at Hackney Empire in London for his three decades as café owner Roy Cropper
• Julie Hesmondhalgh surprised viewers by presenting the gong and pulling it from Roy’s signature shopping bag, a prop that originally belonged to Neilson’s late mother
• The onstage reunion of Roy and Hayley prompted an outpouring of emotion on social media, with fans praising the actors’ enduring partnership and its impact on soap storytelling
• Neilson, who debuted in July 1995, has commuted from his home in Barcelona to Manchester for filming and become synonymous with Roy’s gentle demeanor and distinctive wardrobe
• Roy and Hayley’s 2010 wedding marked the first legal union featuring a transgender character on a British soap, a storyline that won six awards at the 2014 British Soap Awards